Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41152051›Full record

SynthesisBritish journal of anaesthesia2025

Effects of perioperative benzodiazepine administration on postoperative patient-reported outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Fang Zhou Ge, Karen Zhao, Emily Au, Behnam Sadeghirad, Renée Fournier, Emilie Belley-Côté, Jack Young, Eugene Wang, Chris Beaver, Shelley Kloppenburg and 4 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in British journal of anaesthesia, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. An Update on Pain Management in Pediatric Spine Surgery.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2026
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Fang Zhou GeDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Karen ZhaoDepartment of Family Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Emily AuDepartment of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Behnam SadeghiradDepartment of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Health Research Methods, Evaluation, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Renée FournierFaculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Emilie Belley-CôtéDepartment of Medicine (Cardiology and Critical Care), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Perioperative Research Division, Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Jack YoungHealth Sciences Library, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Eugene WangDepartment of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Chris BeaverPatient/family partner.
Shelley KloppenburgPatient/family partner.
David MazerDepartment of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Anesthesia and Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Eric JacobsohnDepartment of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
Michael VerretDépartement d'anesthésiologie et de soins intensifs, Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC, Canada; Population Health and Optimal Health Practices Research Unit (Trauma-Emergency-Critical Care Medicine), CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Centre, Quebec, QC, Canada.
Jessica SpenceDepartment of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Health Research Methods, Evaluation, and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Perioperative Research Division, Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Critical Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. Electronic address: jessica.spence@phri.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBenzodiazepines are administered during the perioperative period because they are believed to improve the patient experience. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effect of perioperative benzodiazepines on postoperative patient-reported outcomes.

methodsWe included randomised controlled trials of all languages comparing benzodiazepines with non-benzodiazepine comparators in adults undergoing inpatient surgery. Our outcomes were postoperative pain, quality of recovery, patient satisfaction, and anxiety. We assessed risk of bias using a modified Cochrane tool. We pooled data using a random-effects model and assessed the quality of evidence for each outcome using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.

resultsWe screened 33 220 abstracts, 1156 full texts, and 123 RCTs, of which 93 were included in the quantitative synthesis. We identified moderate certainty evidence that benzodiazepines have no effect on patient-reported postoperative pain or quality of recovery and very low certainty evidence that benzodiazepines have no effect on patient satisfaction. We identified low certainty evidence that benzodiazepines result in higher levels of postoperative anxiety (22 trials, n=2165; mean difference, 2.18 points on the 20-80 State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-3.30; I

conclusionsBenzodiazepine administration in the perioperative period probably has no effect on postoperative pain or quality of recovery and has an uncertain effect on patient satisfaction (very low certainty evidence). When compared with placebo or another agent, benzodiazepines might result in higher levels of postoperative anxiety. Definitive research is required to determine whether the balance of risks and benefits justifies using benzodiazepines during the perioperative period to improve patient-reported outcomes. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL: PROSPERO (CRD42023440326).

Indexed as

BenzodiazepinesPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresPerioperative CarePostoperative PainAnxietyHumansPatient SatisfactionRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicBenzodiazepinesbenzodiazepinesmeta-analysispatient-reported outcomesperioperative medicinesystematic review

Identifiers

PMID41152051
PMCPMC12799406

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.